After Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher and Christopher Nolan, Matt Reeves has seized the modern myth of Batman. A batman who rediscovers his detective instinct, in the guise of Robert Pattinson. Between its false film noir air and its irresistible grunge atmosphere, this 2022 version of the masked vigilante was able to easily make the difference. A coup made possible thanks in particular to a choice cast (Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell) and a Gotham City as dark as it is captivating. An imaginary city inspired by many others…
The Batman : Bruce Pattinson as a grunge masked hero
It's been two years since Bruce Wayne decided to put on the Batman cape. Rich heir by day, vigilante thirsty for vengeance by night, he fights crime in his own way, making Gotham City his playground. A city like no other, ossified by corruption, a veritable breeding ground for supervillains of all kinds… Scary personalities such as Catwoman, the Penguin, the Riddler or the godfather Carmine Falcone. Individuals that the batman will come across along the way are investigating a serial killer operating under the alias of the Sphinx… In his battle for order, Wayne can count on the help of his butler Alfred Pennyworth, but also that of Lieutenant James Gordon.
The Batman : What cities are hidden beneath Gotham City?
If several sets were used in the north of London, near the Leavesden and Cardington studios, Gotham City was formed thanks to… five cities! Indeed, the English capital, but also Liverpool, Glasgow and Chicago welcomed Matt Reeves' cameras, to create this very special city. In the press kit for his film, the director says: “We didn't want Times Square to camp Gotham Square. So we added skyscrapers and an elevated railway line to the Gothic architecture of Wellington Square in Liverpool, so that the viewer would wonder 'where are these settings?' were they filmed?' Gotham City is a character in its own right, and while the murders relate to Gotham City's history of corruption, the presence of the location as a character in its own right was essential.” Note that the big apple, despite Reeves' reluctance, was also used, notably for the skyline of his skyscrapers. James Chinlund, production designer, explains: “We identified a place, in the south of Manhattan, where we installed the unfinished skyscraper, before rebuilding our entire environment around it. It became the heart of the Tricorner Bridge district. As a result, our city became still grafted around a piece of Manhattan!”
